Elsa Malfoy and the Dangerous Diary
by DancingAdventurer45
Summary: In Elsa Malfoy's first year at Hogwarts, things quickly go differently than she had planned. Sorted into Gryffindor and friends with none other than Ginny Weasley, Elsa is in for an interesting year. Who/what is petrifying the students? Will she be able to keep her powers secret from the rest of the school? Will the diary her father gave her reveal the truth about the past? ON HOLD
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

"C'mon, Elsa! If you don't hurry up we'll miss the train!" my older brother Draco called from down the hall.

"Coming! I just need to get Topaz in his cage!" I replied quickly. After bribing my barn owl into his cage with a treat, I grabbed my trunk in one hand and Topaz's cage with the other and raced out of my bedroom door. Waiting outside was one of the house elves, Norby. I handed him my things so I wouldn't have to drag them down the stairs, then ran down the hall.

"Elsa, hurry up! The train leaves in twenty minutes, and we don't want to be late!" I heard my mother calling from the entrance hall.

"I'm here!" I announced as I quickly walked down the marble staircase. I knew if I ran, mother would reprimand me. "Sorry I took so long, Topaz just refused to get into his cage."

"Next time, have one of the house elves help you," my father said. "We can't afford to be late - it won't be good for my reputation. Understand?"

"Yes, Father."

"Good. Now, let's be off."

After a quick apparation, we arrived at King's Cross Station, where we headed straight for the pillar between platforms nine and ten. Father and Draco walked through the pillar first - it was the gateway to the Hogwarts Express - and Mother and I followed.

Platform 9 ¾ was just as magical as I had imagined it. The Hogwarts Express was a bright red, and the steam that issued from it made a hissing sound as we walked alongside it. Just before Draco and I boarded, Father pulled us aside.

"Now, remember what I told you - behave, study hard, and don't do anything to ruin the Malfoy reputation. Do you understand?" We both nodded. "Good. Right, Draco, run along while I talk to your sister for a moment." Father waited until Draco had boarded the train, then said, "Now remember what I told you about the diary - give it to one of the Weasley children. I'm counting on you, Elsa. Don't tell anyone where you got it, and don't tell _anyone_ about your powers. If the wrong people find out about them, you would be in grave danger. Keep your gloves on, and only practice with them in the room I told you about. Promise?"

"I promise."

"Good. Now off you go - I've had one of the house elves put your luggage just inside that door. Have a good term, and your mother and I will see you at Christmas."

"Goodbye!"

"Bye, Father!"

Draco and I waved goodbye, then boarded the train. Sure enough, two trunks and two owl cages sat just inside the door. I grabbed my blue trunk and Topaz's cage and turned left down the aisle way. Draco immediately turned the other way, wanting to get as far away from me as possible. I knew this would happen - this was his second year at Hogwarts, after all, and he was bound to ditch me for his friends.

I rolled my eyes, then turned and started looking for an open compartment. Even though we had arrived early, most compartments were full.

Finally, I found one that had only one occupants - a girl with bright red hair. I opened the door and said shyly, "Can I sit here? This is the emptiest compartment I could find." The girl nodded, so I placed Topaz's cage up on the rack, then tried lifting my trunk up. It was quite heavy, and I couldn't get it up. I was just about to sigh in defeat when the girl asked, "Need a hand?"

"Thanks," I said gratefully as she took one end of the trunk. With the extra hands, it was much easier to lift, and together we managed to place it on the rack next to Topaz.

"Thank you," I said again. "I'm Elsa, by the way."

"I'm Ginny," the girl replied.

"Nice to meet you," I said, taking a seat by the window. "Is this your first year?"

"Yes, and I'm so excited!" Ginny exclaimed. "I'm the youngest of seven, and I've been dying to come here since my brother Bill first went. Is this your first year as well?"

"It is!" I said happily. "My brother started last year, and I'm so happy to finally be going too!"

After that, it didn't take long for us to bond. We talked about our favorite Quidditch teams, favorite sweets, and which house we hoped to be sorted into.

"I'm probably going to be a Gryffindor," said Ginny. "All my family has been one. What about you?" I sighed.

"Well, all my family has been in Slytherin… but I don't think I belong in Slytherin. In fact," I said, "I think I'd rather be in any other house than Slytherin - even Hufflepuff! But I think I'll either be a Gryffindor or a Ravenclaw."

"What's your last name again?" Ginny said slowly. I winced.

"Before I tell you, I want you to know that I'm nothing like my family, so please don't hate me… my last name is… Malfoy." 

"You're a Malfoy?!" Ginny gasped.

"Please don't hate me! I don't agree with anything my father says, and I definitely don't hate your family! Otherwise I wouldn't be here."

"But - but - my brother has talked all about your brother! He's-"

"A spoiled, pompous brat - I know," I finished. "So… do you hate me?" Ginny hesitated before answering.

"...No, I don't hate you Elsa. Like you said, you wouldn't be here if you hated me or my family, and you've been nothing but kind to me - why should I hate you? In fact, I think we're going to be very good friends." She smiled at me warmly, and in that moment, I knew she was right.

The rest of the train ride was spent getting to know each other, and by the time the train stopped, I felt like I knew Ginny better than I knew my own brother.

The first years were herded down a path by a huge man named Hagrid, who led us to a fleet of boats. We were instructed to climb in - only four to a boat - and so naturally, Ginny and I sat next to each other. The only other person in our boat was a girl named Luna, who we quickly became friends with.

Finally, the boats reached the other side of the lake, and we went underneath the castle and stopped at a small dock. We got out of the boats and followed Hagrid up a staircase and into the main entrance of the castle. Standing there waiting for us was a tall woman dressed in green.

"Well, here's the first years for you, Professor McGonagall. I'll be off to the feast then," said Hagrid, turning and walking away.

"As you heard Hagrid say, my name is Professor McGonagall," said the woman. "Now, before you join your classmates, you must be sorted into your houses. There are four houses - Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. If you follow me, we will go into the Great Hall where you will be sorted into your houses." She turned and walked towards a large set of doors, which she knocked on twice. Immediately, the doors opened, and she walked inside, all the first years following her.

The Great Hall was the largest room I had ever been in. The ceilings were extremely tall, and was enchanted to look like the sky. Four long tables sat next to each other, one for each house, and at the opposite end of the hall was one long table where the rest of the teachers sat.

When we reached the front of the hall, Professor McGonagall stopped and said, "Now, when I call your name, you will come forward and sit on this stool - " She pointed to the three legged stool behind her "and place the Sorting Hat on your head. Once you are sorted, please find a seat at your house table."

After the first few were sorted, we realized that the sorting went in alphabetical order by last name, meaning that Ginny would most likely be last, and that Luna and I would be towards the end of the sorting.

Even still, it wasn't long before Luna was called up. Ginny and I watched in anticipation, wondering what house she would be in. It didn't take long before the hat shouted, "Ravenclaw!" and Luna walked away towards the Ravenclaw table. I looked at Ginny, disappointed. She too looked glum, but before I could whisper something to her, Professor McGonagall called, "Malfoy, Elsa!"

Immediately, my heart started beating faster, as if it was training for a marathon. I managed to make my legs carry me forwards, even though they felt like jelly underneath me. I sat down on the stool, and just before the hat was put on my head, I saw Ginny give me an encouraging smile.

The hat was so large that it covered my eyes so I couldn't see anyone, which I found quite comforting.

"I wondered when you would come to Hogwarts," a small voice said in my head. I jumped, surprised. _Are you the Sorting Hat? _I thought.

"Yes, that I am," the hat replied. "Now, as I was saying – I'm surprised you're here at Hogwarts, you know." _Why are you surprised? _I replied, confused.

"I see... so you don't know, do you Miss Silverwood?" _Silverwood? My last name is Malfoy... _

"Is it really? Tell me, have you ever wondered where your powers came from?" _I don't know what you're talking about... aren't you supposed to be sorting me? And how do you know about my powers? _I had already been sitting on the stool for at least two minutes, and I could hear whispering from outside the darkness.

"Yes, yes... you are right, my child. Never mind what I said. Now where to put you..." _Mr. Sorting Hat sir... if it matters, I really don't want to be in Slytherin. I'd go into any house as long as it meant I wouldn't be sorted there, _I pleaded. I knew that if I was sorted anywhere else, Father would be furious, but I knew I didn't belong there.

"Yes, your opinions do matter, and luckily for you, I wasn't considering putting you there. No, you'd do far better in... GRYFFINDOR!" The hat shouted the last word, and the hat was pulled off of my head. The room was silent with shock as I stood and walked towards the Gryffindor table.

Then someone started clapping. As I sat down next to one of the other first year Gryffindors I saw that most of the teachers were clapping, along with some Ravenclaws, Hufflepuffs, and a few Gryffindors.

As the pity clapping ended and the next name was called, I glanced over at the Slytherin table, searching for Draco. I found him almost immediately – his glare wasn't hard to find. His eyebrows were narrowed as he drew a finger across his neck, but his green eyes seemed to have pity in them... I dismissed this as a trick of the light though. My brother hadn't ever really cared that much for me, so why would he feel sorry for me?

I was pulled out of my thoughts when I heard Ginny's name called. I watched as the hat was placed on her head, and only a few seconds later, the hat shouted, "GRYFFINDOR!" and the moment the hat was off of her head, she practically ran towards the table and plopped down in the seat across from me, grinning from ear to ear.

After that, the headmaster, Professor Dumbledore, gave a quick speech, and then the feast began. As we ate, Ginny and I got to know our fellow female first years, since we would be sharing a dormitory. Other than Ginny and I, there were three other girls who had been sorted into Gryffindor: Chiara, a sweet girl with dark brown hair, Noelle, a mischievous girl who Ginny said reminded her of her twin brothers, and Sophia, a blonde haired girl who was one of the rare popular-but-nice girls. Once they had gotten over the shock that I had been sorted into Gryffindor (and after Ginny reassured them that I was extremely nice) the five of us soon became friends, and by the time the feast was over, I had never felt happier.

Percy Weasley, Ginny's older brother, led the first years up to Gryffindor tower, as he was a prefect. The common room of our house was quite cozy, with red armchairs and sofas scattered around the room, along with a few desks and chairs. A roaring fire was in the large fireplace, making the room a perfect temperature. There were two staircases in the room: the one on the left, Percy said, led to the boys dormitories, and the one on the right led to the girls dormitories. Ginny, Chiara, Noelle, Sophia and I ran up the staircase on the right, passing door after door until we reached the one at the top which had a sign on it saying: First Year Dormitory: Ginny Weasley, Chiara Johnson, Sophia Copper, Elsa Malfoy, and Noelle Caster.

The inside of the room was much bigger than I expected. There were five small alcoves, one for each of us, complete with a four poster bed, a nightstand, a desk, a window with a small seat, and a built in closet. Each alcove also had a red curtain in front of it, so if we wanted privacy, we could easily draw the curtain. In the middle of the room was a heater, which had a small rack where we could lay wet clothes if needed. On the right side of the room was a door that led to the bathroom, which had two separate rooms. The first room had five small showers inside, and the second had five stalls and five sinks.

"This dormitory is better than my room at home!" Ginny exclaimed, picking the alcove next to mine. I had chosen the one just to the left of the door. Obviously, Ginny was on my right, then Noelle, Chiara, and Sophia. Our trunks had been set in the middle of the room along with our pets, and we quickly grabbed them and started unpacking. We left all of our curtains open and chatted away while we organized and decorated our mini living spaces. It didn't take too long, and soon all my clothes were hung neatly, my schoolbooks, quills, bottles of ink, and the rest of my supplies were on my desk, Topaz was perched on the chair, and my trunk was stored underneath my bed.

"Well, I don't know about you guys, but I'm exhausted," said Sophia.

"Me too," Chiara agreed while the rest of us nodded. Ten minutes later, we were in bed with our curtains drawn. I had opened my window so Topaz could fly in and out, and as I lay in bed thinking about all that had happened that day, I remembered the diary. _I just can't give Ginny that diary, _I thought. _She's so nice – and knowing Father, that diary could be enchanted to hurt her or something! No... I think I'll just keep it. Maybe I can use it myself... _Not too long after that, I drifted off to sleep, dreaming about my new friends and, hopefully, a wonderful school year.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Not long after I posted the first chapter, I got at least 7 reviews from guest readers saying that I should have put Elsa in Slytherin. Thank you for your opinion, but this is my story and there is a reason why Elsa is in Gryffindor. Also, I understand where you're coming from by saying that Elsa's powers are 'too cool' to keep secret, but again, there is a reason that they are secret. Thank you for your reviews and have a wonderful day :) ~DancingAdventurer45**

Chapter 2

The next morning, I woke up feeling happier than I'd ever felt. The sun was shining in through my window and the sounds of my dorm mates getting ready for the day drifted through my curtain. I smiled, excited for my first day at Hogwarts.

I quickly got out of bed, grabbed my robes and new red tie that had appeared on my bed last night, and entered the bathroom for a quick shower. Once I was all clean and dressed, I brushed and braided my long blonde hair, then ran back to my alcove to pack my bag with the essentials I'd need for class later. Since we didn't have our schedules yet, I didn't know what books I'd need, so I would have to make a quick trip back to the dormitory after breakfast to grab the books I'd need for the day.

As I emerged from my part of the dormitory, I found Ginny waiting for me.

"Hey," she said, her brown eyes glittering with excitement. "You ready for our first day?"

"I was born ready!" I replied enthusiastically.

"Then let's head down to breakfast – we need to make sure we have plenty of time to eat, come back here for our books, and then find our classes." With that, we started to head down the stairs.

"Wait!" I said, suddenly remembering that I had forgotten my gloves. I didn't normally wear them, but with all that was going to happen that day, I figured it was better to be safe then sorry. "I'll be right back," I said, turning and running up the stairs.

I threw open the dormitory door, jogged into my mini bedroom, opened my truck and grabbed the first pair of gloves I saw. As I ran back down the stairs I shoved them onto my hands, hoping Ginny wouldn't notice that I was wearing them. She smiled at me when I reached the bottom of the stairs, and together we headed out of the portrait hole.

Just as we left the common room, we both realized that we had no idea how to get to the Great Hall.

"Umm... do you remember how to get there, Elsa?" I shook my head.

"No... maybe we could ask someone for directions?" Just then, the portrait hole opened again, and out came two boys and a girl. The boy I recognized immediately: his hair was the exact same shade as Ginny's, which meant that the other boy must be Harry Potter, and the girl Hermione Granger.

"Ron!" Ginny called. The three of them turned around.

"What, Ginny?" Ron replied, looking annoyed.

"Can you show us the way to the Great Hall?" I spoke up shyly. Hermione's eyes softened at the sight of us, two lost first years.

"Of course we can," she said kindly. "Right, Ron?" Ron muttered something underneath his breath, but he didn't argue when we started to follow them down the stairs.

"I'm Hermione Granger," she said, introducing herself to me. I assumed she already knew Ginny because of Ron. "and that's Harry. What's your name?"

"I'm Elsa," I replied, again choosing not to supply my last name. "Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too, Elsa," Hermione smiled.

"So where were you two last night at the sorting?" Ginny asked the boys suspiciously. I hadn't realized they weren't there, but she must have seen that her brother was missing.

"Well... we kind of missed the train and flew Dad's car here but crashed it into a tree and got detention," Ron said sheepishly.

"How did you miss the train?" I asked.

"The barrier wouldn't let us through for some reason," Harry explained.

"That's strange..." I muttered. "The train hadn't left yet?"

"No, we still had ten minutes before it was supposed to leave. Odd, isn't it?" Ron answered.

"Only something with powerful magic could've closed the barrier before the train left..." I thought allowed. "Do you think someone tried to stop you from getting to Hogwarts?" Ron shrugged, but a strange look flashed across Harry's face, then quickly disappeared.

"Well, here we are. You can leave now, Ginny," Ron said when we reached the Great Hall.

"Thank you!" I said as Ginny and I headed off to find a seat.

Not far down the table were the rest of our dorm mates.

"Why did it take you so long to get here?" asked Noelle.

"We forgot how to find the Great Hall and had to ask for directions," Ginny replied. "How did you three get down here?"

"I've got a photographic memory," Chiara said. "I remembered the way from here to the common room, and so all I had to do was reverse the direction."

"Lucky! I wish I had a photographic memory," Ginny said wistfully.

"Well, if we all stick together when we head to class, I can memorize the routes and then we won't get lost," she offered.

"That would be amazing!" Sophia cried. "We probably be the first first years to never get lost!"

The next fifteen minutes were spent eating breakfast and talking about which classes we thought we would like the best. I was looking forward to Charms and Defense Against the Dark Arts the most, with Transfiguration and flying lessons coming in a close second.

Professor McGonagall soon came walking down the table, handing out schedules for the year. When she handed me mine, I saw that the first lesson of the day was Charms. After that we had Herbology, a fifteen minute break, double potions with the Hufflepuffs, lunch, and then double DADA with the Ravenclaws. Lastly, we had a study hall in the library, dinner, and then two hours in the common room before bed at nine o'clock sharp.

"We'd better hurry back to the common room to get our books," Noelle said. "We don't want to be late to Charms."

Following Chiara back to the common room proved to be much faster than asking for directions. In only five minutes we were back in the dormitory. I grabbed my textbooks for Charms, Herbology, and Potions, then realized I'd almost forgotten my wand on my desk. I picked it up and stuck it in my pocket, then hurried after my friends.

Since we didn't know how to get to Charms, we walked down to the Entrance Hall to see if we could find someone who could give us directions. Luckily, one of the ghosts was there, and happily led us to class.

When we finally reached the classroom, I saw that the first year Ravenclaws were waiting outside. The first year Gryffindor boys were no where to be seen, and still hadn't shown up when Professor Flitwick, the extremely short Charms teacher, called us inside.

Once we sat down, Professor Flitwick took a quick roll call. When he noticed that the boys were missing, he said "Well, I do hope they find their way here quickly, or they'll miss the fun!"

The lesson consisted of us practicing 'swishing and flicking' our wands a certain way. I found it fun, though some of the others became bored after an hour of swishing.

As we practiced and Professor Flitwick walked around making sure we didn't poke someone's eye out, Ginny, who I was sitting next to, asked, "What kind of wand do you have, Elsa? Mine's yew wood and fourteen inches."

"I have a maple wood wand with a phoenix feather core, and it's twelve and a quarter inches."

"Woah, you have a phoenix feather core? That's so cool!" Just then, Flitwick came over and asked us to demonstrate our swishing and flicking, so we had to stop talking.

Our next class was Herbology with the Hufflepuffs. I'd never really cared for gardening, but the first class wasn't so hard.

After that, we had a quick break, which my friends and I used to clean the dirt off of ourselves, then double potions with the Hufflepuffs.

Potions wasn't horrible, but it wasn't my favorite either. I was paired with Noelle, who loved potions, and so the class was spent getting to know each other more and making our potion, which turned out almost perfect. Every once in a while, though, I'd look up to find Professor Snape, the potions teacher, giving me a strange look. I brushed it off, thinking he was probably wondering how a Malfoy got into Gryffindor.

Lunch came next, and the entire time my friends and I talked about which class was the best so far, and who was the best in each subject, and which teacher was the worst. In the end, we decided that Charms was the best, and that Professor Snape was the worst teacher.

As we neared Defense Against the Dark Arts, I started to get a strange feeling in my stomach. _Am I just nervous? _I asked myself. _No... this is different. Something isn't right... but what is it? _The feeling got worse as we sat down in the classroom. Ginny and I sat together again, and I almost told her I was feeling weird, but something in my mind told me not too.

A few minutes later, Professor Lockhart came into the classroom and began to brag about himself to the entire class.

"Welcome, first year students, to Defense Against the Dark Arts. I assume you've all heard of me: Gilderoy Lockhart, Order of Merlin First Class, and many more titles – but we haven't got time for me to tell you about all my amazing achievements, have we?" On and on he talked, however, about his books and award-winning smile. Finally, he said, "Right... where was I? Ah, yes. Defense Against the Dark Arts! Today we will be reading the first chapter of my book, _Break with a Banshee. _Go on, open your books!"

The next two hours were spent reading, and the entire time, the strange feeling in my stomach got worse. Finally, only a few minutes before the lesson was over, I raised my hand and asked, "Professor, sir, I'm not feeling well. Can I leave now?"

"Oh, er- yes, of course, Miss Malfoy." I quickly packed my things and booked out of the classroom, ignoring the looks my friends were giving me.

The moment I was out of the room, I dropped my bag by the door, hoping my friends would see it and bring it back to the common room for me. The feeling increased, and I felt a strange pull, as if someone was pulling me with a rope. I followed it down the hall towards the staircases. I paused, then started climbing the stairs as quickly as I could, until I reached the twelfth floor.

There were two ways I could go: left, down a brightly lit hallway, or right, up a hallway that I couldn't see the end of. The pull came suddenly again from the right, and so I followed it into the darkness.

Though I couldn't see where I was going, the pull acted as a guide, turning left, then left again, until suddenly it stopped. I still couldn't see, but my hand was drawn out as I reached for something in the dark. Then I touched something cold – metal, by the feel of it. _It must be a door handle, _I thought. _But why am I here? _

I tried turning the handle, but it wouldn't budge.

"C'mon," I muttered, twisting it this way and that. Still, the hidden door remained closed. I let go of the handle, and just as I did, the pull disappeared.

"Well, this is a problem," I said. Without the pull, I had no idea where to go. I was lost in a dark hallway in the castle.

_I have to get out of here! _I thought, panicking. _Okay... I'll try going right, since I turned left twice. _So I groped my way down the hall, keeping my hands on the wall to keep myself from missing the turn. After what seemed like an eternity, I felt the wall end, and I turned right. _Good, you're doing good, _I encouraged. _Almost there... just go a bit farther. _Again, the wall ended, and I took another right.

Then I walked, and walked, and walked some more. _I don't think it took this long... _Just as I decided to turn around, I saw a speck of light in the distance.

"Finally!" I exclaimed. I ran as fast as I could while still keeping a hand on the wall. The light came closer and closer, and soon enough, I was back in the brightly lit hallway.

"That," I said, out of breath, "was interesting."

Somehow I managed to make my way to the Great Hall, where dinner was already taking place. I'd missed the study hall, and I was sure my friends were freaking out. After all, I'd basically left them in Loopy Lockhart's class – that was the nickname I had come up for him while walking down all those stairs – and left my bag by the classroom door.

Sure enough, when I walked into the Great Hall, my friends spotted me immediately and rushed over.

"Are you alright?" asked Ginny.

"We found your stuff by the door, don't worry, we put it in your part of the dorm-" Chiara started.

"Why did you leave it there?" Noelle finished.

"And _where _have you been?" Sophia cried. Needless to say, I was a bit taken aback. I'd only met these girls yesterday, and here they were, worried sick about me.

"It's okay, calm down!" I said. "Let's go sit down and I'll tell you what happened."

I lied. As much as I wanted to tell them what had really happened, I just... couldn't. It felt like something that should be kept secret, at least for now. So I told them I'd felt nauseous and managed to find my way to a bathroom, and had only just found my way back.

"The castle is _huge,_" I reminded them. "It's easy to get lost in here."

Later, when the five of us were back in Gryffindor Tower, my friends helped me catch up on some of the homework they had completed in study hall. We practiced our swishing and flicking for Charms, read the next chapter in our books for Herbology, looked over the ingredients for the next Potion's class, and wrote a paragraph about the first chapter in Loopy Lockhart's book.

When I told them the name I'd come up with for Lockhart, they all burst out laughing, and we laughed so hard that Percy, Ginny's older brother, came over to tell us to quiet down. Even Fred and George, more of Ginny's brothers, came to see why we were laughing so hard. When we told them, they thought it was hilarious, and proceeded to shout it for the entire Gryffindor house to hear. All the other girls thought it wasn't funny, but the boys all agreed with me: it was the perfect nickname.

"I suppose the older girls only like Loopy Lockhart because he's famous," Sophia commented.

"And handsome," Chiara added.

"True," I agreed. "But just because you're famous and handsome doesn't mean you can't be loopy."

It was late by the time the five of us finally got to bed. We'd stayed up talking and playing Exploding Snap, a card game that Sophia had brought with her. After a few rounds of that, everyone admitted that they were tired, and so we got ready for bed.

When I climbed into bed after closing my curtain, I found that I wasn't really tired. In fact, I was wide awake. _Maybe I could write in that diary Father gave me... Oh! I could write down everything that happened today, and do the same every day so I'll never forget a single moment of my first year at Hogwarts! _With that thought in mind, I slipped out of bed and pulled out my trunk from underneath it. I'd left the diary inside, just so no one would see it and ask what it was.

I opened the trunk, pushed aside the blanket Mother had made me pack in case I got cold – which was funny, since the cold never bothered me – and there it was: the small, black diary. I picked it up, then pushed the trunk back under the bed. Then I rifled through my satchel to find a quill and a bottle of ink and sat on the bed, wondering what to write first. _Well, I suppose I should introduce myself in case someone reads this in a hundred years, _I thought. So I wrote:

_Hello! My name is Elsa Malfoy, and – _Just as I started to finish the sentence, I realized that the ink was vanishing from the page. I stopped writing, the quill hovering above the page. I flipped to the next page, then the next, but the ink hadn't leaked through. It had just... vanished.

"That's odd," I muttered. "Maybe I should try again?" So I wrote my name again, and it vanished again. "What on earth...?" Just as I was about to write it a third time, something appeared on the page.

_Hello, Elsa. My name is Tom Riddle. How did you find my diary? _I almost threw the diary in shock. It was talking back to me! As I stared at the diary in my hands, watching the ink disappear again, I decided I should answer this... Tom Riddle.

_My father gave it to me, _I replied. _How... how are you able to respond?_

_I enchanted the diary when I was sixteen years old, so I could reply to anyone who wrote in it. That is, anyone worthy enough of a response. _

_So... I'm worthy enough? _I asked curiously.

_Of course, _he replied. _Like I said, I wouldn't reply if I didn't think you were worthy. Would you like to be friends? _I hesitated for a moment, then replied: _Yes, that would be wonderful. I could tell you all about my time here at Hogwarts, and you can tell me what it was like when you were there! _

_You're at Hogwarts? _Tom asked.

_Yeah, it's my first year! _I answered.

_What year is it? _

_1992\. _

_What house are you in?_

_I'm in Gryffindor, but the rest of my family is in Slytherin... what house were you in? _

_I was in Slytherin as well. Congratulations on getting into Gryffindor, though. _

_Thank you! I really love it here – I have four amazing friends, and all my classes are incredible, and the castle is so huge! Tom... can I ask you a question? _It had just occurred to me that Tom might know why I had felt that strange pull that day.

_You can ask me anything, _he replied.

_Earlier today, when I was in class, I felt a strange pull. It got worse and worse, so I had to leave class and follow it all the way to the 12th floor. It led me to a door, but I couldn't open it. Do you know why I felt that pull? Or what's behind that door? _Tom took a few minutes to respond, but when he did, I was surprised.

_I've heard about the pull before, _he said. _But it's been years since anyone has had it. Normally it happened only to those from the Silverwood family, but it's possible it happens to others too. I don't know what's behind that door, though. Maybe you need a key? _

_The Silverwood family...? _

_Yes, one of the most ancient wizarding families around. _

_I've never heard of them before..._

_Well, you should research them. I'm sure I've read about them in the library. _

_I think I will. Maybe I'll find out more about that room, and maybe I can find a key. Thanks, Tom! _

_Of course, _he replied. _I'm always here, if you want to talk to me again. _

_I'll write to you in the morning, _I promised. _Goodnight, Tom. _

_Goodnight, Elsa. _

And so I fell asleep, thinking happily about what Tom and I would talk about the next day.

**Okay, so this is a quick little author's note: I'm quite busy lately, as I have finals coming up and Christmas is getting closer, so I'll try to come up with an updating schedule, but in the meantime, please be patient! Thank you so much for reading this second chapter, and please leave a review! ~DancingAdventurer45**


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Quick shout out to CAD270895, LadySerenity22, and symonator for following the story! Also shout out to CAD270895, LadySerenity22, and animatez for favoriting the story as well! **

**Onto chapter 3! **

Chapter 3

After a few weeks, everything fell into an easy routine: breakfast, classes, lunch, classes, break, dinner, study hall, bedtime. Over and over again.

My friends and I did everything together, from studying to exploring the grounds. I'd never had so much fun in my entire life! Sure, I did have a bit of guilt from hiding my powers from them, but I had to keep them secret, for my own safety – and theirs.

The only other secret I kept from my friends was Tom. At first I had wanted to tell them about him, but once we started writing back and forth more, I decided I wanted to keep him secret. It was, in a strange way, thrilling to know that I had a secret other than my powers.

One day, only a week or so after Tom and I had become friends, I received my first letter. I had been dreading this letter, as it was from Father. I knew that Draco would write to him and tell him all about how I was friends with Ginny and that I was sorted into Gryffindor.

When I saw that the letter was from him, I excused myself from the breakfast table, telling my friends I'd meet up with them later. I quickly exited the Great Hall, then looked around, trying to decide where to read the letter. I didn't want to be somewhere where someone would see me. Then I remembered – the room Father had told me about! It was on the seventh floor, and if I walked past it three times, thinking about what kind of room I needed, it would appear!

Once I remembered the room, I realized that I'd completely forgotten about practicing with my powers. _Oops... _I thought. _I guess I've been so busy with classes, homework, and my friends that I forgot. _I sighed. _You've got to do better, Elsa. You have to practice with them or you'll lose control again... You have to be more responsible. _

When I reached the seventh floor, I quickly walked back and forth three times, thinking _I need somewhere to practice my magic, somewhere no one can find me. I need somewhere to practice my magic, somewhere no one can find me. I need somewhere to practice my magic, somewhere no one can find me. _Then I waited. For a moment, nothing happened. Then a door started to form in the wall. It slowly grew bigger and bigger, until it was large enough for me to fit through. I cautiously walked over, glanced around to make sure no one was watching, then slipped through the door.

The room I was in was small, yet big enough for one person to practice magic. There was a bookshelf stocked with thick books, and I made a mental note to read them later. Across the room were some cushions in a pile on the floor, and a desk sat in the corner. I took two of the cushions from the pile and made a chair for myself on the floor – one to sit on and one behind my back – then sat down. I stared at the letter for a moment, then ripped open the envelope and pulled out the piece of paper. I unfolded it and started to read.

_Elsa, _

_ When I first heard from Draco that you had been sorted into Gryffindor, I must say I was displeased. Yet, after thinking about it, I realized that even though you did the exact opposite of what I told you to do, you are now in a better position to give the diary to Miss Weasley. In fact, I hope you have realized this, and maybe have already given it to her. _

_ I hope you have been practicing with your powers. You know what could happen if you don't. Write soon, _

_ Father_

"Well, that was unexpected," I said aloud. "I really thought he would be angry... well, I suppose he would if he knew that I don't intend to give Ginny the diary. Speaking of which..." I pulled out the diary from my bag. I'd been carrying it around, in case I needed to talk to Tom.

_Hi Tom! _I wrote.

_Hello, Elsa. How have you been? _

_I'm doing well, thank you very much. Tom... can I tell you a secret? _

_You can tell me anything, Elsa. _

_Have you ever heard of someone having... elemental powers? Along with being a witch, of course. _

_Yes, but it's extremely rare... why do you ask? _

_If I tell you, you have to promise to never tell anyone else, alright? _

_Of course. I'd never tell your secrets, Elsa. _

_Well... I can control ice and snow. It's why I wear gloves all the time, just in case something happens. _

For a moment, no writing appeared on the page. I started to get worried. _Tom? _

_Sorry, Elsa. I got caught up in my thoughts. But this... this is quite unexpected. How long have you had these powers? _

_All my life. I was born with them. _

_Intriguing... I must say I didn't expect you to say that. _

_You'll still be friends with me, right Tom? _

_We'll always be friends, Elsa. You can count on that. _

_Thanks Tom. _

_Of course. _

_I've got to go, I should practice a bit with my powers. Father says if I don't, I might have an accident again... _

_Accident? What happened? _

_It's... it's a long story. I'll tell you tonight, okay? _

_Alright... see you then, Elsa. _

_Bye, Tom! _I closed the diary, feeling much better, but also a bit tired. I put it back in my bag, then stood up, pulled my gloves off, and started to practice.

I always started small, making snowflakes fall from the ceiling. Then I would go from there, covering things in frost, then making snowmen, snow castles, ice sculptures, and, reluctantly, ice daggers. Father wanted me to have some sort of weapon available at all times, just in case. That was what he always said. "Just in case."

After practicing for an hour, I realized what time it was.

"Oh no, I'm late!" The Halloween feast must have already started, and if I didn't hurry I'd miss the rest of it! I pulled on my gloves, grabbed my bag, and slipped out of my secret room. But just as I started running, I stopped. I was exhausted... but why? I started to feel faint, so I quickly sat down and leaned against the cold stone wall. _Breathe... you're okay. Calm down, Elsa. Now think... why are you feeling like this? _I thought. _Maybe I practiced too hard? Or maybe-_ I wasn't able to finish my thought, as the world slowly got darker and darker, until it faded away completely.

When I awoke, I found myself somewhere different then where I had been when I fainted. Not only that, but the hall I was in was dark – it was really late in the night. _What happened...? _I thought as I used the wall to help me stand up.

"I've got to get back to the common room... everyone must be so worried." Using the wall for support, I walked down the hall, wishing I had something that could light the way. _Unless... _I pulled off my right glove and conjured a snowball, which glowed in the darkness and lit the way.

"Perfect," I whispered.

It didn't take me long to find a staircase, and by the time I had gone down two flights, I had regained most of my strength and had figured out where I was. I'd been up five floors higher than I had been when I fainted. _Maybe I woke up and walked there, fainted again, and don't remember it? _It was a long shot, but the only thing that made sense.

As I walked, I noticed I was covered in feathers and red paint. _Was I sleepwalking? What on earth is happening to me?! _Finally I reached the common room, and was relieved to see that it was empty. I slipped into the dormitory, where I found all my friends were asleep. A quick shower and change into pajamas later, I went back down to the common room and sat in one of the armchairs by the fire.

As I stared into the fire, I wondered if anyone had seen me wandering the halls so late. _Well, if they did, they would have told one of the teachers, _I thought.

I sat by the fire for a long time, thinking. Finally, I got up and started to head towards the girls staircase when I had a sudden urge to look out the window. I did, and a grin lit up my face when I saw what was outside. It was snowing! How could I go to sleep when it was snowing outside? It was practically _calling_ me. So I raced up the stairs, grabbed my cloak from my part of the room, slipped off my boots, and ran barefoot out of the common room. With my cloak on, no one would know who I was unless they saw my face, which was good, as my platinum blonde hair was quite distinct.

It didn't take me long to find a way to the grounds. I laughed as I stepped outside the door and into the soft layer of snow. I danced around in the snow, using my powers to create all sorts of things. I made a hill of snow, then a sled out of ice, and spent at least an hour sledding down the hill. Then I had an idea. I could make a winter wonderland for everyone to enjoy the next day. No one would know it was me – they would think someone used magic to make it.

And so I pulled off my hood – it would only get in the way, and it was so late no one would see me – and set to work, building the sledding hill a bit higher and with an ice staircase that lead to the top. At the bottom of the hill were four ice sleds, each one a different design. Next, I made six small forts for snowball fights, each one loaded with fifty snowballs. After that, I made sure the ice on the lake was thick enough to skate on, and tested it myself with special ice skates. Finally, I put beautiful frost designs on the trees, each one unique from the rest.

Just as I was about to leave, I remembered one crucial thing. I turned around and waved my hand, creating a snowman.

"I'll name you... Olaf!" I exclaimed happily. And so I headed back into the castle, not knowing that someone had watched me the entire time.

The next morning, I woke up earlier than all my friends. I took a quick shower, braided my hair, and put on some comfortable Muggle clothes, as it was a Saturday. I ran down the stairs, my bare feet making a slapping sound on each step.

As I entered the common room, I found Harry, Ron, and Hermione staring out the window. In fact, almost everyone in the common room was looking out the window.

"What are you looking at?" I asked innocently, knowing all too well what it was.

"It snowed!" Ron exclaimed. "And look," he moved aside so I could see out the window as well, "someone made a sledding hill! And ice sleds! And snowball forts!"

"Wow!" I said, gasping at the sight. All the work I had done last night had stayed just as perfect as I had left it, and already a few people were outside playing in the snow. Just then, Ginny and Noelle came down.

"Guys, come look at this!" I called. They came running over, and as they stared at the beautiful sight, I heard Harry ask, "I wonder who did it... do you know what kind of spells could do that, Hermione?"

"Well... there are spells to affect the weather, but I've never heard of them being this powerful. I'll have to research it in the library." Suddenly something clicked in my mind.

"Hermione?" I said. "Do you know if there are... family records in the library?"

"Yes, there are! I can show you later today, if you want."  
"That would be great!"

"Before you two go running off to the library," Ginny interrupted, "I challenge you three to a snowball fight!"

After a quick breakfast, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Noelle and I headed outside. It would be Harry, Ron, and Hermione against me and my friends, and I was extremely excited. I was tempted to use my powers to win – after all, I could use them in a discreet way that my friends wouldn't notice. But in the end, I decided it wouldn't be fair, and so we spent the next few hours having a good old fashioned snowball fight. When we were just about to finish, I saw Draco walking past, strangely alone. Realizing who he was passing, he sauntered over and said, "Elsa, may I have a quick word? Now?" I saw Harry and Ron, who had started to develop a sort of brotherly relationship with me, glance up at the sound of Draco's voice. Immediately they stood up, but I gave them a quick look that said, "I can handle this."

"Of course, Draco," I replied innocently. "I'll be back in a few minutes!"

Draco motioned for me to follow him, and so I did, walking next to him until we reached the lake, which had frozen over in a lovely snowflake pattern.

"What do you want?" I asked, getting straight to the point. For a moment, my brother didn't respond. I was about to ask again when he said suddenly, "I wanted to see if you were safe. Do you know what happened last night?"

"No... I was practicing my powers and missed the Halloween feast. Why?"

"Someone left a message on one of the walls. It said, 'The Chamber of Secrets has been opened. Enemies of the Heir, beware.' Underneath it, Filch's cat was as hard as stone – I overheard McGonagall talking to Flitwick about it. Seems she was petrified, whatever that means."

"The Chamber of Secrets... didn't Father tell us about that once? It was opened 50 years ago, wasn't it?"

"Correct. Last time, a Mudblood died. Listen, Elsa – I know that you and I are pure-blood, but I want you to be careful. Don't stay out late, don't go anywhere alone, and keep practicing your powers like Father said. Got it?"

"Why are you being so nice?" I asked suspiciously.

"You're my sister," he replied. "Besides, even though we hate each other, I don't think I could stand to lose you."

"Aww..."

"Okay, let's forget that ever happened. I've got one more thing to say to you though." He paused, either for a dramatic effect or because he was thinking how to phrase what he was about to say.

"I know what you did."

"...what?"

"I know what you did," he repeated.

"And just what did I do?" Did he know about Tom and I? _No... he couldn't possibly know. How could he, anyways? _

"This." He gestured around at the snow, which glittered in the sunlight.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I replied, keeping a straight face. "Father told me to be careful – you know that."

"Who else could have done this?! There is no one in this castle strong enough to cast such a powerful weather spell, except maybe Dumbledore, and he wouldn't do that without a reason." I didn't reply, instead opting to look at the ground.

"Look," he continued. "If you just tell me why, I won't tell Father. I promise." I jerked my head up, staring right into his bright green eyes.

"How do I know you're telling the truth?"

"It's happened before, remember? Christmas Eve, three years ago?" The memory hit me the moment he said the word 'Christmas.' I had just turned eight years old, and woke up with a sudden urge to use my powers and create something. So I did – I made it snow three feet overnight, and luckily, Father thought it was a freak snowstorm. Somehow, though, Draco knew it was me, but he'd promised not to say after I spent two hours begging. Sure enough, he'd kept his promise, and to this day my father had not heard a word about it.

"What do you want me to do?" I asked.

"Tell me what happened and Father will never hear a word of this."

"That's a strange request."

"Just tell me, Elsa." I knew if I didn't tell him, he'd get impatient and storm off, leaving me to worry if he was going to tell Father or not.

"Fine. It was already snowing, I was up late, and... I couldn't resist. It was practically _calling _me, Draco. I had to go outside. So I did, and then... this happened. But I was careful," I said quickly. "I-I kept my hood on... the whole time." As I said it, I realized I _hadn't _kept my hood on. But I couldn't exactly tell him that, could I?

"That's it?" he asked, blissfully unaware of my mistake.

"Definitely. Now if you'll excuse me, my friends are waiting. Make sure you keep your promise!"

I turned and walked away, back to my friends and safe from my own brother.

"What did Malfoy want?" Ron asked later as we walked into the Entrance Hall. Everyone else was shivering with cold, while I was perfectly warm.

"He just wanted to ask me a question," I replied. "And his name is Draco, in case you didn't know."

"Are you sure that's all he wanted? He looked a bit agitated," Harry chimed in.

"Yes, I'm sure. Why don't you all head to the Great Hall and get some hot chocolate? I've... got to go to the library."

"Actually," Hermione interrupted, "I've got to go to the library too. Why don't I go with you, Elsa?"

"Sure, that would be great – you can help me find the family records."

"Why are you looking at family records?" Harry asked curiously.

"Oh, umm..." The truth was, Tom and I had been talking a lot, and I started to realize that something was off in my family life. First, I was drawn to that strange room said only to draw Silverwood family members. Second, I was the only person ever in the Malfoy family to have elemental powers, which was practically unheard of, unless I'd been cursed. Third, I looked a bit different from my family. Sure, my hair was blonde, but it was so blonde it was almost white, and my eyes were a deep blue, unlike the green of the rest of my family. So I had decided to research both the Malfoy and the Silverwood family to see what I could find.

"She's just curious about – er - some of the old wizarding families," Hermione replied, covering me.

"Cool," said Ron. "Have fun in the library you two!"

Two hours later, I was sitting in the library surrounded by books. I had just found the Malfoy family history book and was scanning through it while Hermione finished some charms homework.

"Hermione?"

"Mhmm?" she replied, still concentrated on her homework.

"Why did you lie for me?"

"Oh, umm... well, you hesitated, and I figured it must be something personal, so I made up a lie. Are you mad?"

"Of course not!" I quickly assured her. "I was just curious."

"What are you looking for, anyways?"

"It's... kind of personal, like you said. But maybe I'll tell you once I've found it – if I can find it, that is."

After another hour, I decided to check out the Malfoy history book and the Silverwood history book so I could keep reading. I'd finished my homework, and so the rest of the day and all of Sunday was free for reading. Of course, Sunday was the first Quidditch match of the season, but that would hopefully not last too long. _I'll have to get rid of all this snow so our team has better flying conditions, _I reminded myself.

As I walked down the hallway, my satchel slung over my shoulder, I thought about what Draco had told me about the Chamber of Secrets and Filch's cat. Why did it feel so familiar? It almost felt as if I should know more about this Chamber of Secrets. _I'll ask Hermione about it, _I decided. _Maybe she knows something I don't, and if not, we can always check the library. _

The rest of the day was spent hanging out with my friends and playing games, such as wizard's chess and exploding snap. After that we hung out in our dorm, talking about random things and telling stories.

Later that night, as soon as everyone was asleep, I snuck out of the dormitory, bare foot and cloak in hand, ready to sneak outside and melt all the snow. When I entered the common room, however, I happened upon Fred and George Weasley, Ron's older brothers. They were hunched over something on a table and didn't seem to notice me until I drew near to the portrait hole.

"Elsa?" I froze. Would they stop me from leaving the tower? "That's your name right?" I turned to see both of them looking at me. I had no idea which was which, though I could see the smallest difference in their faces. I nodded in reply. "Where are you going?" the twin on the left asked. I decided then and there to just confess everything – well, almost everything. I couldn't risk getting into trouble, and I knew that Fred and George wouldn't tell any teachers what I was doing. They were the resident trouble-makers, after all.

"I need to go do something important," I replied. "I can't tell you what it is though."

"Well," the twin on the right said, "as long as it isn't a prank, we'll let you pass."

"If it is," the other continued, "we can help, if you'd like."

"It's not a prank," I said, getting nervous. What if they didn't let me leave? The twins must have noticed my nervousness, as one beckoned me over to their table and said, "You don't have to be nervous, Elsa. We're not going to turn you in. In fact, we're going to help you." He gestured to the piece of parchment on their table, which looked like a complex map.

"What is that?" I asked curiously.

"It's a map of the castle. We're going to let you borrow it to get to where you need to go, on the condition you don't tell a soul about it and that you return it when you're done."

"Thank you," I said. "Why are you helping me?"

"Pranksters help each other," the twin to my right winked. "Now, here's how the map works: it shows every single person in the entire castle and where they are, so you can avoid teachers and ghosts easily. To activate the map, just say 'I solemnly swear that I am up to no good.' When you're done using it, say 'Mischief managed' or else anyone can read it. Got it?" I nodded again and they handed me the map.

"Which one is Fred and which is George?" I quickly asked before they left. The twins grinned.

"The thing is, neither of us really know which is which. We think Mum switched us around too much and now no one knows who is who. I go by Fred," the twin on the right said, "And I go by George," said the twin on the left. "You probably won't be able to tell us apart though – not even our family can."

"Actually, now that I know your names, I know who is who. George, you've got two extra freckles on the left side of your face, and Fred, your smile is more lopsided." The two gaped at me.

"How in the _world _did you notice that?"

"I looked," I replied with a smile. "Now if you'll excuse me, I've got a job to do. Thank you for everything!" With that, I left the tower.

The next morning, I woke up later than the rest of my dorm mates. I'd been up late melting the snow outside, and hadn't gotten back to the common room until past two in the morning. I still had the map that the Weasley twins had given me, so I decided that before I headed down to breakfast I'd return it.

As I braided my hair a few minutes later, I realized that the sun was up higher than I thought it had, which meant it was later than I thought, which meant...

"I'm going to be late for the first Quidditch match!" I exclaimed, quickly finishing my braid and grabbing my Gryffindor scarf and a pair of gloves before running down the stairs and through the almost empty common room.

After grabbing a piece of toast from the Great Hall, I ran as fast as I could down to the Quidditch pitch, where I found my friends sitting next to Hermione and Ron.

Just as I sat down the match began, and the Gryffindor and Slytherin players zoomed out onto the field. Harry was the Gryffindor seeker, while Draco played seeker for Slytherin. It would be an interesting match, that was for sure.

Only a few minutes after the match started, Harry started acting strange. A bludger kept following him, trying to hit him repeatedly over and over, and he had to stop his search for the snitch in order to not get hit.

"Why is that bludger acting up?" I muttered. _This can't be good... _

Luckily Harry managed to evade the bludger, and eventually caught sight of the snitch! Just as he reached out for it, the bludger whacked him in the arm. Somehow he managed to land, and everyone rushed out to the field. The match was over – Gryffindor had won, though possibly at the cost of Harry's arm.

"Do you think his arm will be okay?" I asked as we ran down the stairs to get to the field.

"I'm sure it'll be fine," Hermione reassured me. "Madam Pomfrey can mend bones in a second!"

We had to push through the crowd to get to Harry. Ron and Hermione reached him first, but it took me a bit longer to maneuver around everyone. Just when I finally reached them, everyone gasped. Professor Lockhart was standing next to Harry, his wand pointing at his arm, which seemed to have become boneless.

"Ah, yes, well, that -er- yes, that can happen, this is a tricky little spell, but I'm sure Madam Pomfrey can fix his arm up in a jiffy!" Lockhart said, trying to cover up his mistake. Apparently he'd tried to fix Harry's arm.  
"You three!" he said, pointing at Hermione, Ron and I. "Why don't you take Mr. Potter up to the Hospital Wing?"

So, ten minutes later the three of us stood in the hospital wing, watching as Madam Pomfrey muttered about how irresponsible Lockhart was, and how they should have brought Harry straight up to the hospital wing.

"You'll have to stay the night," she told Harry, who looked less than thrilled. "And drink this – it'll regrow the bones." She handed him a bottle of Skele-grow. When Harry tried it, he almost spit it back out again.

"Well, what did you expect, pumpkin juice?" Madam Pomfrey tutted. "Finish that, then drink this potion – you'll want to be asleep while your bones regrow." Then she bustled away, off to help another patient. Harry finished both potions, and not long after had fallen asleep.

"Well, I guess we'd better head back to the common room – everyone's going to want to know if Harry's alright," said Ron.

"Right..." said Hermione. "Um, how about you go ahead Ron? I need to talk to Elsa for a moment." Ron shrugged, then left the hospital wing, Hermione and I walking slowly behind.

"What's wrong Hermione?" I asked. She had had a strange look on her face the moment Ron suggested going back to the common room.

"Well... this is going to be hard..."

"You can tell me, Hermione," I encouraged. She took a deep breath, then quickly muttered something under her breath. "I couldn't hear you – sorry." _Why does she look so nervous? Does she know something about the Chamber of Secrets? _She took another deep breath, then said "I know you were the one to conjure the snow yesterday." Time seemed to slow to a stop.

"What – what do you mean?" I managed to say.

"I woke up Saturday night to flashes outside the window, so I looked out and... well, there's only one person with your colored hair, and when you turned around... I knew it was you." I barely heard what Hermione said. My mind had gone into panic mode. _Someone knows about my powers. Someone knows about my powers. Someone knows about my powers! _How could I have been so stupid and careless?

"...Elsa? Are you okay?" I shook my head, then turned and ran down the hall, ignoring Hermione's calls.

I didn't know where I was going, but I knew that I had to get away. My body had taken control, running to a place I didn't know. But I didn't care. My mind was still repeating the same thing, over and over. _Someone knows about my powers. _And as the adrenaline coursed through me, I didn't even realize what was slowly happening. I had stopped running. The walls around me seemed to close in, and my vision became blurry as darkness took over, and I knew no more.

"Elsa! Wake up! C'mon, we're going to be late!"

"...what?" I muttered, half asleep.

"For class!" Ginny's exasperated voice cried as she shook me awake.

"But it's Sunday..." I protested, now almost awake.

"It's Monday, Elsa! Wake up, class starts in half an hour!" At that I sat up straight in bed.

"What class do we have?" I asked as I leaped out of bed and pulled my clothes out from my trunk.

"Charms... Elsa, are you okay?" Ginny looked at me, concerned, as I froze, fear coursing through me.

"No," I whispered.

"What's wrong?"

"I-I don't know," I replied, sitting down on the bed again. _I don't remember anything from last night after... after Hermione told me she knew about my powers. What happened to me? How did I get back here? And how on earth did I forget we had Charms homework?! _I took a deep breath. _Maybe I could say I don't feel well? That's not exactly a lie... I do feel a bit queasy, and I'm exhausted..._

"I don't feel well," I said in a hopefully convincing tone. Luckily it worked, as Ginny's concerned look turned even more so.

"Don't worry," she commanded, suddenly starting to act motherly. "You go back to bed, get some rest, and I'll tell the teachers you don't feel well. And later, if you're up to it, we can go over the homework together. Oh, right," she said, turning and grabbing a piece of toast and a glass of lemonade from the desk. "I got you some breakfast, if you want it."

"Thanks, Ginny," I said gratefully.

"No problem," she grinned. "But I've got to go or I'll be late. Feel better soon!"

The moment she left, I put my breakfast back onto the desk and slipped into bed, laying my head down on the soft pillow. _Hopefully I can get some rest, _I thought. _Then later I can figure out just what happened last night. _And so I fell back asleep.

A few hours later, I had woken up and gotten dressed, deciding that even though I was still tired I had to start the day. But when I went to grab my Charms homework so I could work by the fire in the common room, my eyes fell on the diary. I hadn't written to Tom for a few days... maybe he would know what happened to me, or at least help me figure it out. So I grabbed the diary and a quill and sat back down on the bed.

_Hello, Tom! _

_Where have you been, Elsa? I thought you'd lost the diary! _

_Sorry Tom... it's been quite interesting the past few days. _

_Even still, you can't just leave me alone like that. Promise you'll write to me every day from now on._

_I promise, Tom. And I really am sorry... _

_It's alright. Now, tell me what happened these past few days... _

And I did. I told Tom everything, about the match, Harry losing his bones, Hermione finding out about my powers, and me running away and blacking out.

_I'm scared, Tom, _I admitted. _What if she tells someone? And why don't I remember anything from last night? _

_Don't worry, Elsa. If Hermione really is your friend, she won't tell anyone. If you really are worried about it though, I can help with that. I'm sure that last night, you panicked so much that you just don't remember what happened. It's normal, trust me. _

_Oh, _I said, breathing a sigh of relief. _That's good. I was worried I was going insane for a moment. But... how can you help me with Hermione?_

_That's a topic for another time, Elsa. _

_Alright... well, I should be going. I have some Charms homework to finish. But I'll write later, okay? _

_See you then, Elsa._

_Bye Tom! _

With that, I shut the diary, grabbed my Charms homework, and ran down to the common room. It wasn't long before my dorm mates came into the common room. Noelle, Sophia, and Chiara ran upstairs to put away their things, but Ginny came over and sat next to me.

"How are you doing?" she asked.

"Better," I replied. "I've gotten some homework done, which is good. I still feel tired though..."

"Hmm," Ginny replied. "Maybe you just didn't sleep well?"

"That's probably it," I said. "So, did anything interesting happen today?"

"That reminds me!" she gasped. "I can't believe I forgot! Remember how Filch's cat got petrified? It's happened again last night, but this time it was a student!"

"What?" I said quickly. "Who was it?"

"Colin Creevy."

"That boy with the camera in our year? He's petrified?" Ginny nodded, looking extremely concerned.

"That means... oh no," I said, realizing what she was getting at.

"No one is safe."

**AN: I hope you liked chapter 3! Please review and tell me what you think so far! Sorry it took me so long to get this out... Christmas was incredibly busy, I had exams, and my family just got home from a vacation, so I'm quite exhausted! But I needed to get this chapter out, and it's much longer that the last two, so that's something. It might take me a bit to get the next chapter out, what with school starting up again and general busyness. But I'll do my best! Chapter 4 should come out sometime this month at least :) Thanks for reading! ~DancingAdventurer45**


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